Will the real length of the Dales Way, please stand up?

I was recently chastised by a commenter who pointed out that I’d put the distance of the Dales Way as being 70 miles, whilst displaying the photograph above which said it was 81 miles.

Actually, I can’t deny it. I had cocked up big style on the page in question. I’d meant to put 78 miles, but mistakenly put 70. To compound things, when I put in the conversion to kilometres, I’d then put it down as being 135km (or 84 miles) instead of 125.

It was all a bit of a mess, but it reminded me of one of the big problems of the Dales Way. That no one seems to agree on how long it actually is.

Let’s do a little tour of the evidence.

At Ilkley, this information panel (seen in 2011 anyway) says the walk is 84 miles (trust me, it does if you zoom in.)

But at the other end, a sign at Windermere says the Dales Way is 81 miles.